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(No Model.) ZSheets-Shet 1.

J. M. VAN METER. GAN LABELING MACHINE.

Patented Nov 25 Inventor 5 t. g M,

Attorney 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. M. VAN METER. CAN LABELING MACHINE. v

. Patented Nov. 25, 18:90.

No Mode 1 MNHWW Inventor 3w Attorneys Witnesses UNITE STATES LATENT,EFICE.

JAMES M. VAN METER, OF CAMBRIDGE CITY, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- IIALFTO IVM. I. LANGFORD, OF SAME PLACE.

CAN-LABELING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 441,341, dated November25, 1890.

Application filed May 19,1890. Serial No. 352,368. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES M. VAN METER, of Cambridge CityflVaynecounty, Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCan-Labeling Machines, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention pertains to that class of machines designed for applyingcircumferential labels to cylindrical articles, such as fruit- IO cansand the like.

My improvements will be readily understood from the followingdescription, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich I 5 Figure 1 is a side elevation of a labelingmachine exemplifyingmy improvements; Fig. 2, a vertical longitudinal section of the same;Fig. 3, a plan of the same; Fig. 4, a transverse section of the same inthe plane of the axis of the paste-valve; Fig. 5, avertical longitudinalsection of that immediate portion of the machine contiguous to thepaste-valve, this View showing a can E in the act of rolling over thepaste-valve; Fig. 6, a

horizontal section through one corner of the label-box, showing thearrangement for adjusting the sides of the box; and Fig. 7 a plan of oneof the guide-rails at that portion just over the label-box. Figs. l, 5,6, and 7 are 0 upon an enlarged scale.

It is preferable in extensive labeling operations to have a specialmachine adapted for each difierent size of can, and this plan may befollowed with my machine; butI have also 3 5 designed the machine toadapt it to different sizes of cans, and it is in this form that Iillustrate the machine; and in order that this feature may be morereadily referred to I will have occasion to speak of two-pound cans andthree-pound cans, and it is to be understood that three-pound cans aresomewhat longer and larger in diameter than two-pound cans.

In the drawings, A indicates an inclined guideway down which the cansare to roll, this guideway taking the form of a frame supported on legsat a convenient height; B, two upwardly-projecting ledges along thisguideway, the distance between these ledges being such as to neatly butfreely fit endwise upon a can-say a three-pound can; C, the track onwhich the three-pound can rolls, the same being formed by a narrow ledgeprojecting inwardly fromeach of the ledges B; D, a second track, onwhich the two-pound cans are to roll, this track being formed by narrowledges projecting inwardly from but lower than the track 0, as clearlyseen in Fig.

4; E, a can in the act of rolling down the track from the head of themachine, which is the highest toward the foot; F, a roller dis- 6o posedacross and under the track near the head of the machine, the peripheryof this roller projecting a trifle above the track, the surface of therollerbeingformed,preferably,

of some soft material, as felt; G, a paste-reservoir disposed below thepaste-roller F, and furnishing the bearings for this roller, which isfree to revolve in its bearings, this pastereservoir being secured tothe frame, so that the roller may be adjusted a short dis- 7o tancefarther up and down the track; H, a label-box secured below the track ata point farther down than the paste-roller, this box being open at itstop and having horizontal dimensions adapted to receive the labels to bedealt with; J in Fig. 5, the pile of labels lying in this box andexposing their backs upwardly at the track; K, a cushion arranged as thefioor of the track beyond the label-box, this cushion having its uppersurface formed of yielding material, as soft padding or brush material,the surface extending above the tracks sufficiently to insure that thecan will bear upon the cushion; L, a vertically-movable label restdisposed within the label-box under the pile of labels and adapted tosupport the pile, this label-rest being somewhat inclined, so that thatend of the labels nearest the head of the machine will be pressed higherwith reference to the slope of the track than the other end of thelabels; M, a balanceweight arranged to exert an upward pressure on thelabel-rest, the illustration showing this weight as acting on thelabel-rest through the medium of a lever, along which the weight can beadjusted, so as to alter the upward pressure which the weight exertsupon the pile of labels; N, a spring (illustrated as an ordinaryspring-scale) attached to the frame and to the weight-lever, so as tooffer spring resistance to the descent of the weight; 0, a paste-valveconsisting of a bar disposed across the track just over the foot end ofthe label-box in such position that the foot end of the labels willpress upwardly against the lower surface of the bar, this bar beingprovided with a longitudinal cylindrical bore; P, Fig. 5, a longitudinalslot in this bar, leading from the under surface of the bar up into thecylindrical bore therein, the length of this slot being less than thatof the bar and equal to very near the width of the labels designed forthree-pound cans; Q, a similar slot in the top of the bar, the length ofthis second slot, however, being a trifle less than the width of labelsdesigned for two-pound cans; R, a pipe extending through the bore of thepaste-valve and fitting neatly therein, this pipe having a singlelongitudinal slot of less length than the length of the bar in which thepipe fits; S, a paste-can mounted upon and communicating with verticalextensions at each end of the pipe R, the position of the slot in thepipe R being such that itwill coincide with the slot P in the pastevalvewhen the paste-cans S are vertical; T, brace-rods pivoted to the frameand hooked into apertures in the cans, these brace-rods serving to holdthe paste-cans in vertical position when desired; U, the side pieces ofthe label-box H, these side pieces being arranged for adjustment to andfrom each other to suit the different widths of labels V, the end piecesof the label-box; WV, (see Fig. 6,) screws engaging the side pieces andend pieces of the label-box and serving as a means by which the sidepieces can be adjusted sidewise, these screws screwing into the endpieces and engaging the side pieces by means of peripheral groovesengaging pins in the side pieces, as clearly seen in Fig. 6; X, screwssecuring the paste-reservoir G to the frame through the medium of slots,whereby the paste-reservoir and paste-roller may be adjusted along theframe a short distance; Y, a gap in each of the tracks D where thetracks extend over the label-box, and Z, Fig. 7, apatch for filling thisgap when it is desired to use the narrow or two-pound track.

A pile of labels is to be placed back up in the label-box and upon thelabel-rest, the foot end of the labels bearing against the end wall atthe foot of the label-box, the position of or presence of the other endwall of the label-box being immaterial. The foot end of the pile oflabels will come under the pastevalve 0. The paste-cans S, occupyingtheir vertical position, will deliver paste through the slot P-to thefoot end of the top label; but the upward pressure of the labels willprevent escape of paste. The weight M is adjusted to produce a properupward pressure of the pile of labels, which pressure will keep the footof the pile snugly up against the paste-valve O, and the head end of theupper label will, by reason of the slope of the labelrest, project abovethe track. When the pile of labels is put in the label-box, the weight Mis adjusted to suit that pile; but as the pile of labels lessens byconsumption its gravity becomes less, and consequently the weight Mwould require readjustment. The spring N is intended to compensate forthe Varying gravity of the pile of labels. As the gravity of the labelslessens, the spring becomes more extended and therefore more powerful inresisting the action of the weight. The weight M therefore acts againsttwo resistances, represented by the gravity of the labels and thetension of the spring, the sum of which two resistances will bepractically constant.

A can placed upon the track at the head of the machine will roll downthat track. As it passes over the paste-roller F it will receive alengthwise dab of paste. As the can proceeds along the track it willreach the head end of the top label of the pile of labels, and the dabof paste on the can will pick up the end of this label, and as the cancontinues rolling the label will become wrapped around the can, asindicated in Fig. 5, the foot end of the label being lightly clamped bythe paste-valve; but the rolling can jerks the label free from thisclamping, and the end of the label thus pulled loose will have receiveda streak of paste'from the slot in the pastevalve. The can as it rollson down the track will have the final end of the label pasted neatlydown on the end already pasted to the can and the entire label will bepressed smoothly home by the action of the cushion. As the label iswithdrawn from under the paste-valve O the paste-valve delivers paste tothe next label of the pile.

The paste-roller F gets a little rotation as the can rolls over it, andthus supplies itself with paste from the paste-reservoir, in which itdips. The dab of paste which this roller puts on the can must come injust the right position to engage the head end of the label. Thereforethe roller F must be accurately located with reference to the head endsof the labels. The distance should equal the circumference of the can.In using the machine the'cans roll down the machine in continuousseries. The action is entirely automatic, the attendant needing only tostart the cans. The frame will preferably form an intermediate portionin extended tracks leading from the storage-point of unlabeled cans tothe storage-point of labeled cans. In Fig. l I illustrate at each end ofthe guideway eyes designed for the attachment of such extended tracks. 7

When the machine is not in use, the pastecans S should be tippedforward, thus rotating the pipe R in the paste-valve and cutting oh? thesupply of paste.

Three-pound cans roll down the tracks 0,

and as the labels are almost as wide as the cans are long the tracks Dover the labels would prevent the labels from coming up. Therefore thenarrow tracks are suppressed by means of the gaps Y. The sides of thelabel-box will be adjusted to correspond with the width of thethree-pound labels, and the length of the slot P is suited to thoselabels.

\Vhen two-pound cans are to be labeled, the cans will roll on the tracksD, and the patches Z will be inserted, so as to complete those tracksover the label-box, and the sides of the label-box will be adjusted tosuit the two-pound labels, and the paste-valve 0 will be turned over, soas to present the shorter slot Q downwardly, the slot I in such casepresenting itself idly upward.

In case it is not desired that a single machine shall be adapted forworking on cans of various sizes, then of course the adjustment of thepaste-roller F will not be called for,

nor will the sides of the label-box require to be adjustable, nor willthe double-gage tracks of the guideway be called for, nor will thepaste-valve require to be reversible or need more than onedelivery-slot.

I claim as my invention 1. In a labeling-machine, the combination,substantially as set forth, of a guideway along which a can may roll, alabel-box disposed intermediate of the length of said guideway and belowthe same, a label-rest arranged as a vertically-movable bottom to saidlabelboX, means for pressing said label-rest upward, a paste-valvehaving the form of a slotted bar disposed across said track over one endof said label-rest and arranged to clamp down on and deliver paste uponone end of the labels, a paste-reservoir at a point in said guidewaybefore the label-box, means, as a roller, for delivering paste from saidreservoir to a can rolling thereover, and a smoothing device, as acushion, at said guideway beyond the label-box.

2. In a labeling-machine, the combination, substantially as set forth,of a guideway, a label-box intermediate of the length thereof, avertically-movable bottom for said labelbox, forming a label-rest, meansfor pressing said label-rest upwardly, a slotted paste-valve across saidguideway over one end of said label-rest and arranged to clamp down onand deliver paste to one end of the label, a rubbing device at a pointin the guideway beyond the label-box, a paste-reservoir at a point inthe guideway before the label-box, a roller disposed across the guidewayat said paste- .reservoir and arranged to deliver paste to a can rollingthereover, and means for adj usting said paste-roller along saidguideway to and from said label-box.

3. In a labeling-machine, the combination, substantially as set forth,of a guideway along which a can may roll and provided with two gages oftrack in separate vertical planes adapted for two different lengths ofcans,

and devices for applying labels to cans as they roll over said guideway.

4. In a labeling-machine, the combination, substantially as set forth,of a label-rest, a bar disposed across one end of said label-rest andprovided with a cylindrical bore and with a downwardly-open slot closedby labels on said label-rest, a slotted pipe fitting the bore of saidbar and adapted to turn therein, and a reservoir of paste connected withsaid me. p 5. In a labeling-machine, the combination, substantially asset forth, of a verticallymovable label-rest, a bar disposed across overone end of said label-rest and having a cylindrical bore and twooppositely-disposed slots of differentlengths, a slotted pipe fittingsaid bore and adapted to turn therein, and a paste-reservoir connectedwith said slotted ipe. p 6. In a labeling-machine, the combination,substantially as set forth, with a guideway and devices along saidguideway for dabbing paste on a can and smoothing thelabel on the can,of a label-box disposed between said dabbing and smoothing devices, acombined paste-valve and clamp-bar disposed rigidly over one end of saidlabel-box, a verticallymovable label-rest in said label-box,abalance-Weight arranged to press said label-rest, and a pile of labelssupported by it upward, so the top label will be always against saidpaste-valve, and a spring arranged as a resistance to the gravity ofsaid balance-weight with a force increasing as the label-rest ascends. I

7. In a labeling-machine, the combination, substantially as set forth,with a guideway provided with two gages of track in separate verticalplanes and devices arranged along the same for dabbing paste on a canand smoothing the label on the can, of a labelbox between said dabbingand smoothing devices,a vertically-movable label-rest in said label-box,and means, as screws, for adjusting the sides of said label-box to andfrom each. other.

8. In a labeling-machine, the combination, substantially as set forth,of a guideway along which a can may roll,devices arranged along the samefor dabbing paste on a can and smoothing the label on a can, a label-boxbetween said dabbing and smoothingdevices, a paste-valve having the formof a slotted hollow clamp-bar disposed across said guide- Way at one endof said label-box, a paste reservoir connected with the hollow of thepaste-valve, a label-rest forminga verticallymovable bottom for saidlabel-box and hav- IIO ingthat one of its ends nearest said pastevalvefarther below the guideway than its other end, and means for pressingsaid labelrest upwardly.

9. In a labeling-machine, the combination, substantially as set forth,of a guideway, means, as a roller, for dabbing paste on acan rollingthei'eover, a rubbing device, as a clamp one end of the pile of labelsunder cushion, for smoothing the label on the can, a said bar, and meansfor applying paste to label-box disposed between said dabbing and theclamped end of the top label of the pile. 1o

rubbing devices, a clam p-bar disposed across JAMES M. VAN METER. saidgnideway at one end of said label-box, a \Vitnesses:

label-rest arranged as a vertically-movable W. F. MEDSKER,

bottom to said label-box and adapted to H. B. BOYD.

